Making the right decisions: things to consider before taking a dog

Are you looking for a new dog to add to your family? Nowadays there are a lot of options available to find your new companion. You can go to a breeder, the shelter, rescues and people that re-home their dog. But before you decide you want that particular dog, it’s good to take a step back and take a few things in consideration. We of Connecting K9 give you some tips you can follow!

Responsibility for a lifetime

Before we’ll talk about a few things you can keep in mind while looking for a new dog, let’s take a look at the responsibilities. No matter what choices you make and with what dog you’ll end up, remember that a dog will be part of the family. Not only for a few weeks, but for a lifetime. Dogs have an average lifespan of 8 to 15 years. It depends on the breed and health how long you can enjoy your new pet.

This also means that there’s a lot of responsibilities with buying or adopting a dog. You have to make sure that your dog gets food and water, enough exercise, mental stimulation, prevention against parasites and vet care. Every day your dog is depending on you. They can’t open a door to walk themselves and they are not the ones going to the store to buy everything.

Look at your household

One of the first things you have to do is take a good look at your household. How many people are living in your house? How many kids? Is everyone healthy enough to take care of a dog? It doesn’t matter if you’re a one-person household or have multiple kids running around. A dog can perfectly fit into your family. But the amount of people and the ages of every family member can make a big difference when it comes to choosing the right dog.

Not every breed is just as good with kids as others. Some dogs are more nervous, others are hyperactive and can feed off of your child’s behavior. Other dogs might be too big to be around smaller kids. When you find a dog that you like, it’s good to research how they are around people of all ages before making the first decision.

How much time do you have a day?

And how much time do you have on a regular day? Everyone works to pay the bills and to be able to do things in their free time. The amount of hours a day that you’re at work and on your way to work can make a big difference in the choices you make for your next dog. Some dogs are known to be perfectly fine for a longer period of time, while others are more anxious and will destroy your house due to boredom and other reasons. That’s why not every dog breed will be the right choice for you and your family. If you work part time, you might have more time to do things with your dog. Think about time for training, dog sports or other activities.

Having a dog is like having another child. It can take hours to take care of a dog, depending on the breed. Some need longer walks, more mental stimulation and more attention, while others love to sleep on the couch for most of the day. But no matter what you do: train your dog to be alone, even if it’s just to go to the store. It will make your life so much easier!

Your social life with a dog

Life is not only about working, coming home to your family, eating and sleeping. We also want to have a social life or do activities on our time off. Your social life will change as soon as you take a new dog in. Are you able to bring your dog to places? Do your friends and family likes dogs or will you have to come up with a plan every time you’re trying to meet up with them? If you’re someone that loves to go out to party every week, go on day trips with friends and family or love your weekend getaways without bring the dog, it’s good to ask yourself if you really want that new companion or that you’d rather keep your life the way it is. Finding a place to board your dog is not only hard in certain times of the year, but is also going to cost you a lot of money.

How much are you willing to spend?

Talking about money… Have you ever thought about how much a dog will cost? And are you able to afford that? Depending on the size and breed of the dog, dog food can cost a lot each year. On average, a bag of dog food will cost you $60 each. Besides that your dog needs a leash, collar, toys, a crate and maybe a pillow. There’s a lot to buy before your new companion is even in your house.

If you buy a puppy your dog will need the full rounds of shots. The amount each visit depends on the vet you’re using, but especially in the beginning it will cost you a lot. Then there’s prevention against fleas and ticks and in Louisiana you’ll also need to give prevention against heartworm. These bills will come on a regular basis. Are you ready to spend that much on your dog?

Choosing a breed

Last, but definitely not least: the breed you’re choosing. We mentioned the word ‘breed’ a few times in this post already. This has a reason: every breed is different and a lot of breeds are not suitable for regular families. Think about all those cool looking dogs on social media. Malinois, shepherds, cane corsos… Those are all breeds that might look cool in videos, but will probably drive you crazy or put you in some dangerous situations. Without the proper knowledge of those breeds, it can go downhill real quick. They won’t come fully trained. The videos you see are hours of intensive training.

Then there’s breeds that shed a lot, like huskies. Do you want to run the vacuum every day? Or spend a lot of time on brushing? Another reason why choosing the right breed is important. Not grooming your dog the right way is not only causing you stress while cleaning the house, but can also cause stress and issues with the dog.

When you’re on a mission to find your new four-legged friend, make sure you read everything possible about the breed. Try to spend time with people that have this kind of dog and ask not only about the good things, but also the challenges they encountered while raising their pet. It will give you a lot of insight.

Make them part of the family

Dogs are supposed to be part of our family. They will give you unconditional love, without expecting too much. All they want is to be around their favorite people and not end up in a shelter or on the streets. Are you ready to take on that responsibility?